Electret and card assembly and method of manufacture
This invention includes a card assembly incorporating an electrostatically charged polyolefin film, or electret, removably adhered to a paper stock or card substrate. The electret and card assembly is printable on up to four planar surfaces, with both the electret film and paper stock or card having a front and back side that is printable. When the electret is detached from the card, the charged or “static cling” electret is placeable on and self-adheres to smooth surfaces for graphic information display purposes and the printed card is then utilized for various other purposes. The electret film is removably adhered to the paper stock by a coating or “dots” of adhesive and a release agent may be applied to the back or underside of the electret to prevent premature separation and loss of electrostatic properties while maintaining optimum electret film removability. A method of manufacturing a printable electret and card assembly by integrating an electrically charged or “static cling” electret film and paper stock or card substrate using an adhesive to define a composite structure or assembly having various multiple images that may be disposed in registering relationship with respect to each other.
This application claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/596,134, Filed Sep. 1, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is common practice to affix advertising and decorative items, along with posters, schedules, calendars and the like to refrigerators, walls and other flat vertical surfaces with tacks, magnets, tape or other adhesive materials. Consumers typically affix flexible magnets to refrigerators and such magnets often have advertising printed thereon, providing good exposure for the advertiser.
Other such items include “cling” films. The term “cling film” is commonly used to refer to a film that can cling to a substrate without the use of adhesives or fasteners. Cling films are generally divided into two major types: cling vinyl films and electrostatic cling films. Static cling vinyl, a thermoplastic film, will adhere to a smooth surface without the use of adhesives, allowing easy removal and repositioning. However, cling vinyl adherence is limited to surfaces such as glass or metal and depends on capillary more than static forces to adhere.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention is characterized by a combination or assembly of an electret and an underlying paper stock or card substrate, wherein the electret is characterized by an electrostatically charged or “static cling” film which may be die cut for removal of all or selected elements of the electret from the card substrate, to create graphic display products. In non-exclusive particular, direct mail postal cards incorporating an electrostatically-charged, printable film, or electret having printed graphics thereon and removably attached to a paper/paperboard or card stock, also typically printable on both sides, may be created. When separated, all or the die cut portion of the “static cling” electret display film can be placed on and will self-adhere to most smooth electrostatically opposed surfaces such as refrigerators, doors, windows and the like, for display. When all or part of the “static cling” electret element is detached, the underlying printed paper/paperboard sheet (hereinafter called “card”), which may also feature die cut indicia, affords an additional advertising medium for coupons, “mystery” offers, return cards and the like. An adhesive is applied to the card, either as a dry peel or more typically, in a selected pattern of dots and a release agent may be applied to the electret for removably securing the two assembly elements together.
Accordingly, the invention provides interactive advertising in a multi-purpose, cost-effective, magnet-free assembly which not only incorporates different materials such as a “static cling”, typically polypropylene, electret for placement and semi-permanent display, but also a printable, two-sided card substrate that can have a complimentary or different purpose. Other exemplary uses of the electret and card assembly include an assembly design wherein a major food chain might have attractive order/delivery information printed on the electret film and discount offers and coupons printed on the underlying card substrate. In similar manner, a car dealership might have a test drive “gift” enticement printed on the underlying card and hidden by the overlying electret, for a “peel and reveal” promotion, conditioned upon a customer taking a test drive. The respective electret and card assembly components thus invite interactive participation in many different applications, including magazine inserts, coupons, special offers, “secret” offers, return reply cards, various instructional data, maps, postal indicia, address information and the like.
The invention will be better understood by reference to the following drawings, wherein:
As illustrated in
The electret 2 film suitable for use in this invention is typically characterized by an electrostatic “cling” polypropylene or biopolymer polylactic acid (PLA) film of selected shape and size and having a thickness typically in the range of from about 0.001 to about 0.006 inches. The underlying paper stock or card 6 element of the inventive assembly must be printable and can be of any desired shape and size and having a thickness typically in the range of from about 0.002 to about 0.014 inches, for the intended purpose. The electret 2 film can also be transparent or translucent, thus clearly or partially revealing all or part of the top surface card indicia 7 on the underlying card 6, or it may be opaque, all or in part, thus obscuring the card information until the electret is removed from the card 6. Various scents such as perfume or the like and chemicals such as insect repellent may also be infused into the electret 2, according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art.
Referring again to
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While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An electret and card assembly comprising a static cling film having film indicia provided on at least one side thereof; a card provided with card indicia on at least one side thereof; an adhesive provided on said card for removably receiving said static cling film; and a release agent provided on said static cling film for engaging said adhesive on said card and promoting selective, clean release of at least a portion of said static cling film from said card.
2. The electret and card assembly of claim 1 wherein said film indicia is provided on both sides of static cling film.
3. The electret and card assembly of claim 1 wherein said card indicia is provided on both sides of said card.
4. The electret and card assembly of claim 1 wherein:
- (a) said film indicia is provided on both sides of said static cling film; and
- (b) said card indicia is provided on both sides of said card.
5. The electret and card assembly of claim 1 wherein a selected portion of said film indicia on said static cling film is die cut for removal of said selected portion of said film indicia from said card.
6. The electret and card assembly of claim 5 wherein:
- (a) said film indicia is provided on both sides of said static cling film; and
- (b) said card indicia is provided on both sides of said card.
7. The electret and card assembly of claim 1 comprising perforations provided on said card at selected locations for selectively dividing said card into preselected perforated assembly elements.
8. The electret and card assembly of claim 7 wherein a selected portion of said film indicia on said static cling film is die cut for removal of said selected portion of said film indicia from said card.
9. The electret and card assembly of claim 8 wherein:
- (a) said film indicia is provided on both sides of said static cling film; and
- (b) said card indicia is provided on both sides of said card.
10. An electret and card assembly comprising an electret film having film indicia provided on at least one side thereof and a release agent provided on one side thereof; a card provided with card indicia on at least one side thereof; and an adhesive provided on said card for removably receiving said one side of said electret film and exposing at least a portion of said card indicia on said card responsive to removal of at least a portion of said electret film from said card.
11. The electret and card assembly of claim 10 wherein:
- (a) said film indicia is provided on both sides of said electret film; and
- (b) said card indicia is provided on both sides of said card.
12. The electret and card assembly of claim 10 wherein a selected portion of said film indicia on said electret film is die cut for removal of said selected portion of said film indicia from said card.
13. The electret and card assembly of claim 10 comprising perforations provided on said card at selected locations for selectively dividing said card into preselected perforated assembly elements.
14. The electret and card assembly of claim 10 comprising perforations provided on said card at selected locations for selectively dividing said card into preselected perforated assembly elements and wherein:
- (a) a selected portion of said film indicia on said electret film is die cut for removal of said selected portion of said film indicia from said card; and
- (b) said film indicia is provided on both sides of said electret film and said card indicia is provided on both sides of said card.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 31, 2006
Date of Patent: Jul 5, 2011
Patent Publication Number: 20070044356
Inventors: Michael A. Riordan (Mansfield, LA), Donnie W. McVay (Jefferson, TX)
Primary Examiner: Victor S Chang
Attorney: John M. Harrison
Application Number: 11/513,947
International Classification: B32B 9/00 (20060101); B32B 33/00 (20060101);